2 Getting Along With Raiden Mei

Raiden... Mei? Wait! She is Raiden Mei?!

Itsuki's mind reeled as he grasped the fact before him. To think he would encounter such a pivotal character in this world, and not just any character—his favored waifu.

Just seeing her face left him utterly stunned, let alone discovering her true identity. All he could manage was a look of shock.

"Is there something wrong?" Raiden Mei asked, her gaze filled with concern, which jolted Itsuki from his stupor, prompting him to shake his head in response.

"Nothing, I'm just shocked to learn that you're the famous Thunder Queen, Raiden Mei." He laughed awkwardly while scratching his head.

"Is that so?" But then, Raiden Mei's expression turned somber as she bowed her head.

I thought I could meet someone who didn't treat me differently, but I guess that was just wishful thinking. He'll surely avoid me once he knows who I really am,

She thought sadly. From past experiences, she knew well that her identity as the daughter of a criminal made it unlikely for anyone to want to associate with her.

Fortunately, Itsuki wasn't like the others; he really genuinely wanted to befriend her.

"Why do you look sad? It ruins your beautiful face, you know?" Itsuki blurted out, catching Raiden Mei off guard.

God damn it, Itsuki! Why did you suddenly tease her? What if your impression drops because of that? Ahh!!! I'm messed up right now!!!

Itsuki panicked internally. Meanwhile, Raiden Mei was both surprised and pleased by his comment, hoping that Itsuki really was different from the rest.

With a hopeful tremor in her voice, Raiden Mei stammered, "A-are you really okay with being friends with someone like me?"

"What do you mean by that? Of course, I'm okay with it. Is there something wrong with being your friend?" Itsuki asked, genuinely confused, which unexpectedly warmed Raiden Mei's heart.

"E-even if I am the daughter of a criminal!" She shouted, drawing the attention of everyone in the class. But she didn't care and looked at Itsuki with eyes full of hope and expectation.

So that's why she was depressed just now. Did she think I wouldn't want to be friends because of that? What a fool she is,

Itsuki thought, smiling. He looked at her and replied, "Of course I don't mind! What do you think I am? Just because you are a criminal's daughter doesn't mean you are a criminal!" he laughed, while Raiden Mei began to cry—not from sadness but from relief and joy.

Unknowingly, Itsuki had become a beacon in Raiden Mei's lonely, dark world, shining a light that saved her from her shadows.

Itsuki-kun…

Itsuki also didn't realize that his blunt response had caused her favorability toward him to skyrocket. If he asked her out, she would surely accept with joy, though unfortunately, he was oblivious to this fact.

"You two, out of the class until the break is over! You have disrupted the lesson!" the teacher's angry shout came, making Itsuki feel troubled and guilty for involving Raiden Mei. But when he looked at her, he saw that she was just laughing and didn't mind it at all.

Itsuki felt a wave of relief seeing her like that, and together they exited under the scrutinizing gaze of their classmates, most of whom were fixated on Raiden Mei.

As they left the classroom, various whispers reached Itsuki's ears, thanks to his enhanced hearing.

"That bitch! How dare she pretend to be sad just to gain sympathy from Kurokami-kun!"

"Tsk! It's all because of her pretty face! And yet, my face is just as beautiful as hers!" This whisper was met with a deadpan response from her nearby friends.

"What?! Do you think I'm less beautiful than her? No way that's true!" The girl declared defiantly, while everyone around her stared, speechless.

Even Itsuki, who overheard the conversation, couldn't help but twitched his mouth after seeing the girl's face. Comparing her to Raiden Mei was like comparing the earth to the sky; there was simply no contest.

Is this the arrogance of a young lady? I never expected such vanity

Itsuki thought, shaking his head. Raiden Mei, noticing his reaction, looked at him curiously but didn't ask why.

Feeling bored while waiting, Itsuki struck up a conversation with Raiden Mei, and the two of them chatted and laughed intermittently until the break bell rang.

"It was fun talking with you, Itsuki-kun," Raiden Mei said with a smile, and Itsuki returned the smile warmly.

"Me too," they both laughed in unison and then walked back to class together, attracting puzzled glances from all their classmates who were left wondering what had transpired between the two of them.

After all, it was clear how close they had become, appearing like old friends who always laughed and smiled at each other during every interaction.

Especially was how they addressed each other by their first names, which required a level of familiarity typically reserved for close friends or family, indicating a deep bond had formed between both of them.

Alongside the sight of Mei's happiness, there was one who felt deeply unhappy. She was a girl in the class who had whispered earlier about her beauty rivaling Raiden Mei's.

Previously, she had been one of Raiden Mei's followers and sycophants, but even then, she harbored hidden resentment and jealousy towards Raiden Mei's seemingly perfect life.

With her stunning looks and flawless figure, paired with her birth into a wealthy family that owned the largest and most influential tech company in the world, Raiden Mei's life appeared utterly flawless in her eyes, an unfairness that gnawed at her.

But when news broke of Raiden Mei's father's fraud, she felt ecstatic. Since then, she had taken to bullying Raiden Mei, using it as an outlet for her envy and jealousy.

She found a sadistic pleasure in tormenting her, reveling in every moment of it.

Now, as she stared hatefully at Raiden Mei, she felt defeated once again. Despite no longer being the pampered young lady of a wealthy family, fortune still seemed to favor Raiden Mei, intensifying her envy and jealousy.

This deepened her loathing; her eyes, usually cold and full of disdain, suddenly lit up as she conceived a sinister idea. This plan could be a nightmare for Raiden Mei. She could already picture Raiden Mei's face twisted in despair, which made her smirk coldly.

Raiden Mei, oh, Raiden Mei, you may smile now, but I wonder if you can maintain that smile after what I have planned?

The girl chuckled, causing her nearby friend to shudder, as they realized she was plotting something malicious. They hoped they wouldn't become collateral damage in her scheme.

Now, let's return to our main characters. Itsuki and Raiden Mei were having lunch together, since their relationship having grown closer. As for the location? They chose the rooftop, a spot often depicted as romantic in many anime and stories.

"This place is very quiet, isn't it?" Itsuki asked, his face a mix of surprise and confusion.

"Yes, it's always empty, and I think I'm the only one who usually eats lunch here. Is there something wrong with it, Itsuki-kun?" Mei looked at Itsuki curiously.

Wrong? This is not just wrong anymore! It's very weird! Back in previous universe, the rooftop was always known by all the students as the best location to eat lunch with friends, so seeing this place empty is making me doubt life!

Of course, he couldn't say that to her, so he just smiled and replied, "Well, I thought the rooftop would be crowded, so it's weird seeing it's empty, in my opinion."

"I see, I understand what you mean, since there are many settings in anime that take place on the rooftop." They both started to laugh, understanding the cliché in anime as fellow otaku.

They sat facing each other. Raiden Mei began to unpack her lunch, but then noticed that Itsuki was just sitting quietly.

"Eh? Didn't you bring your lunch box, Itsuki-kun?" Caught, Itsuki scratched his head and nodded honestly.

"Well, I didn't want to reject your invitation to have lunch together, so I agreed even though I didn't have my lunch box," he laughed awkwardly, while Raiden Mei pouted upon hearing this.

"Mou, Itsuki-kun! Now you've made me feel bad about inviting you."

"Really? I'm very sorry then."

Seeing Itsuki apologizing, Raiden Mei sighed, feeling helpless in this situation but also warmed by Itsuki's kind intentions.

"In that case, would you share my lunch with me?"

"Seriously?" Itsuki's eyes widened; he never expected he'd actually eat together with Mei, especially since she was known for her excellent cooking skills and humorously named as the Herrscher of Rice by the fandom!

He gulped, but stared at her for confirmation, which she gave with a somewhat blushing face. This made him ecstatic, feeling as though he was dreaming about having the chance to eat with his dream girl!

"But, how can we share? You only have one pair of chopsticks," Itsuki asked doubtfully, but then Mei's blush deepened, turning her face tomato-red.

"L-let me feed you," she stuttered, which left Itsuki in disbelief. But seeing the chopsticks with the food in front of him, he realized this was real and began to eat, his face also blushing.

Woohoo! I'm so happy! To think I got fed by Raiden Mei before even Kiana could experience it makes it even better! Hahaha, Kiana, Raiden Mei's first time is mine after all!

Itsuki's grin widened, making Raiden Mei even more embarrassed, but she continued to feed him despite her overwhelming shyness.

The two ate their lunch together, faces blushing and hearts pounding. Throughout the meal, they remained silent, which made the atmosphere even more awkward than usual. And just as the bell rang, they returned to class in silence, both feeling too shy to look at each other after that.

Time passed, and Itsuki was serious about learning in each of his lessons. With his rapid growth, he became addicted and serious about studying because he could feel how quickly and significantly his knowledge improved rapidly as he studied.

This somewhat made him regret not having this cheat in his previous universe. With how powerful it was, he wondered how different his life would have been if he had it before.

With the school day ending at the sound of the bell, all the students began to leave their classes to head home. Itsuki then asked Raiden Mei to walk home together, and they walked until they had to part ways at a certain route.

"Wait, Itsuki-kun!" Itsuki, who was about to leave, stopped and turned around.

"What is it?"

"T-that, I forgot to exchange our contact information," she said, flustered, taking out her phone.

"Yeah! I almost forgot about it! If it wasn't for you!" Itsuki clapped his hand to his forehead and quickly exchanged contact information with her.

"Well then, goodbye and see you again later!" Itsuki said farewell and ran off, while Raiden Mei waved at him.

Today was the best day! I can't believe I made direct contact with the heroine and established a close relationship with her on the first day we met! As expected, life after reincarnation is the best after all!

"But, before enjoying this newfound strength, I can't relax just yet! So, let's go back home to exercise more!" With that, he started to run fast, accelerating from his normal speed to an inhuman pace as before.

As he run, finally he noticed something quite off, "Fuck! Am I really this fast now? Is it because of my rapid growth? This is sick! I'm fast as fuck, boi!" Itsuki then tried to run even faster, increasing his speed beyond before, becoming like a blur that left only a strange shout of "boi" in the ears of pedestrians.

But due to his antics, a peculiar rumor about a "Ghost who shouts strange words on a quiet street" began to circulate, which eventually turned into a creepypasta about a street ghost named "Boi."

Of course, Itsuki was unaware of this rumor, though he would have been speechless if he had known. Now back to Itsuki again, as he sprinted back home, he was taken aback by a sudden panel that appeared before his eyes.

[Congratulations! You have been invited to join the Friendly-Support Chat Group as a new member. Do you wish to accept it? YES/YES]

"What the heck?!" Itsuki exclaimed in shock.

"Get out of my eyes, first! I can't see anything in front of me!" He tried to dismiss the panel that obscured his entire view, but his attempts failed, causing him to panic.

Unbeknownst to him, a beautiful girl with white hair styled in twin braids was standing in front of him. She looked despondently at her empty wallet while holding her growling stomach.

"Woo… I don't have any more money... but I'm very hungry right now," the girl said with a sad expression on her cute face, accompanied by the loud rumbling of her empty stomach.

But then, she suddenly heard a loud shout growing rapidly closer to her. "Anyone in front of me, move aside! I can't stop and I can't see you!" The girl noticed the warning, but unfortunately, her reaction wasn't as fast as the approaching speed.

"AHHH!!!" The girl screamed in surprise before being struck by Itsuki, who was running at an inhuman speed. She was flung a considerable distance before collapsing unconscious on the spot.